Morning journal and courier., 1887-05-12
WERE THEY THE mURDERERs '

Tragedy-TwO Men Seen by Her
 Leaving the Yard at Midnight
 Their Description Supposed to be in
 the Coroner's Hands-Was August
 strouse One of Them-He Is Under
 Strict Surveillance. ...
 Have they any cluesa
 This question was in the mouth of nearly
 everyone yesterday, but up to 9 o'clock last
 evening it could truthfully and safely be said
 that the police were completely at sea as to
 the murderer or mu1deress of Mrs. Margaret
 Ernst, who was so horribly strang1ed to death at 35 Spruce street.
 1 To-day it can be correctly stated that the | officials have got information which it is
 fully believed will bring the perpetrators of l the foul crime which has startled New Haven l to justice. The clues were obtained after the
 above named hour from the information giv-
 en in rigid cross examination of Miss Min
 n1e M Neustrum, aged sixteen, who resides | with her parents directly over the rear apart | ments where the murder was committed All day yesterday Coroner Mix, Chief Boil ! man and Detectives Reilly and Brewer work ed with might and main for the least possible l information that might lead to clue. The | testimony of the many witnesses examined l amounted in reality to but very little until Miss Neustrum, who had been overlooked, had been examined.
 The testimony of those given before Miss Minnie's will be given first.
 John Fryer, who is employed in the near vicinity of the police office, was summoned before the officials early in the evening. He ! is well known and highly esteemed young
 man and was questioned as to whether he had seen any lights in the basement where l the woman lived. MT. Fryer resides with his family in Mrs. Ernst's York street block, which is directly in the rear. He said he arrived home at about 12:30 o'clock on the | night of the murder. He looked from his rear window, but saw no light or anything ! unusual about the house. He was questioned ! as to whether he knew certain parties pre- sumably against whom the police entertain suspicious. He had no definite knowledge of them. He was questioned quite closely as to whether any person besides Mrs. Ernst had called for rent from the tenants of the building.
 Mr. Jacob Goebel, the shoe dealer doing business on Church street, was the next per son examined. It had come to the ears of the coroner and his aids that MT. Goebel, while returning from a German entertain ment late on the night the murder was con- mitted, had passed by Mrs. Ernst's house and had seen figures moving about by their shad- ows on the curtain. Mr. Goebel said, how ever, he not only knew nothing about the case, but had not passed the house on the
 night in question. He had been in the habit
 of going to his home by way of Spruce
 street, but on the night in question had taken
 another route home.
 The above will show that the police &nd
 coroner are taking every possible piece of
 information that bears on the case. Their
 diligence was rewarded, however, in Miss
 Neustrums testimony, and the public can
 now, it is thought, be hopeful that this case,
 at least, will not prove like the unfathomed
 Mary Stannard and Jennie Cramer cases.
 Mr. David Levi of 25 Spruce street was
 brought to the police office after Mir. Goe-
 bel. He was closeted with the officials for
 twenty minutes or more. The result of his
 testimony could not be ascertainsd. Coroner
 Mix was reticent on what he testified to. It
 was learned, however, that MT. Levi had
 passed the house of the unfortunate Mrs.
 Ernst at a very late hour.
 Detective Brewer it is said was the man
 who learned that Minnie Neustrum knew aught of the case. Mrs. Neustrum, the young girls mother, was uneommunicative when examined yesterday. She said that she did not hear any thing peculiar the night of the murder. She told how all the tenants in
 the house had been accustomed to hearing noises downstairs and any cries short of mur-
 der or fire would hardly be noticed. It now
 transpires that Mrs. Neustrum did not
 want to get mixed up in the affair and
 was naturally uncommunicatlve. She did not tell what her daughter Minnie had i'm
 parted to her. She is hardly to be blamed for
 this, however. What mother wants her
 young daughter mixed up in any manner in
 a murder case. In fact all the tenants of the
 house where the deed was committed were
 exceedingly anxious for fear they would say
 anything which would in any way bring their
 names before public notice.
 But the lynx eye of one Con the easel dis pnio I1n hoQ QCriv hNyf far Ina
 most valuable testimony of the thirty or more persons examined.
 Girl-Iike, Minnie had imparted to some of her friends what she knew of the case and she was told that she was wanted at police headquarters soon after. Accompanied by young friend, and after having been cau- tioned by her mother to tell nothing but the truth, she at once obeyed the summons and Coroner Mix was soon jotting down in exul tation her important testimony. Her story, which was told in straightfor- ward manner, was in substance night quite early. I was delayed longer than I expected It was, am sure, half past ten o'clock when arrived at the corner of George and Spruce streets It was 1915 by the City Hall clock when I left Church street, and l walked as fast as I could toward home. l passed Mrs. Ernst's entrance and saw light in the basement and heard mems voices. I went up stairs. young girl friend who
 had been visiting my mother was just about leaving for her home. 1 again came down stairs in her company and saw her to the gate passed Mrs. Ernst's windows again. Heard curses in German. Peeked in and saw two men, went to the rear of the yard to the woodshed. Returned and again heard loud voices as though there was quarrel go- ing on. As I opened the door tu go up stairs the voices stopped suddenly and someone said 'hush.'
 'sDid not pay very much heed to it as I knew Mrs. Ernst quarreled with many peo- pie. It was near II o'clock when I returned from the woodshed. I sleep in a room over my father and mother. went to bed soon after; was very tired and fell asleep at once.
 I was awakened suddenly by some loud
 noise; listened half affrighted. heard the
 voices which hs.rd am sure 1ha were haseehf ehe
 outside in the yard. I heard
 heavy footballs, as of someone walking about the yard I again heard what think was
 the same noise which had awakened me. Some heavy person or persons ran up the
 back stairs and took, I thought, three steps
 ran down again. I was frightened and got up and went to the window, which I had opened on retiring. opened the blinds and looked out. There was heavy mist and could discern, I think, the forms of two men who ran from the rear and towards the George street way.
 q could hear them speaking in low tones
 as they ran away. The heavy mist prevented me from seeing whether they carried any
 thing or not"
 q closed the blinds and as did. so dis tinctly heard the bells strike 12 o'clock. l am sure because counted the stro It will be remembered that the coroner
 said that the latest they could locate anyone
 in the vicinity of the house was 9:30 and this
 person was Kate Faughnan. Miss Minnie's
 story was in part gieaned from the testimony
 given the officials, but principally from the close querying by 8 COURIER reporter who
 for an hour or more questioned and cross
 questioned her, but the facts given by her
 she stuck to. Her story is undoubtedly true in every point. She is bright young girl
 and tells her story in concise, straightfor
 ward manner. She would not give the description of the men she to the repor- ter, but admitted she knew it. She was un- doubtedly cautioned on this point by the police, who were euncommunicative as to this important adjunct of the clue. Minnie says she went to bed again at about 12:3O and heard no more noises of any kind. She had